We Are Young
by thefantasmickah
Summary: "Beca. Why? Why don't you want to marry him?" "I love him," Beca shrugged. "Why does a piece of paper matter?" Established Beca/Jesse and Aubrey/Chloe


**A/N:** For pitch-playbook. Hope it was what you were looking for!

* * *

Beca's eyes widened in a way she was certain could be called comical when she saw Jesse get down on one knee, "Jesse, get up!" She hissed, trying to get the man to sit back in his chair. Why did he have to do this now? And at a restaurant, no less.

He refused to listen, already well into his obviously practiced speech, "-Beca, I knew from the day that we met that we were going to get together and start a family. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Beca felt her face flush, the prickle of curious eyes on her very much a reality. "Um," she stuttered. "Jesse. I-I can't."

The smile on Jesse's face dropped as he finally registered her words. His hand stalled in the air where he was reaching toward her with the ring. Beca could hear the audible gasp of the woman to her left. "What?" Jesse said, disbelief coloring his words.

"No. Just, not now okay? Can we just finish our dinner?" Beca knew almost every eye in the restaurant was on the two of them, she could feel the sting of hatred at the back of her head from at least three different directions. "Jesse," she hissed again, "Please, I don't want to make a scene."

He stuffed the ring back in his pocket and took a seat again, shuffling his feet, "You already did," he mumbled, grabbing his fork and scraping it against the plate.

She groaned, "Really, Jesse, you're going to act like a child right now? We'll talk about this at home, okay?"

"Fine," he grabbed his wine glass and took a large sip of the liquid.

Somewhere in the kitchen a loud noise of broken glass could be heard drawing everyone's attention from them. Beca sighed in relief, now if only she could get Jesse to stop looking like she hit his puppy.

* * *

"Jesse!" Beca called after him, getting out of their car and trying to catch up to the man who had almost jumped out of the car in his haste to get away from the silent ride home from the restaurant. "We need to talk about this!"

He unlocked the front door and stood in the threshold of their very small house, "I don't want to talk to you right now."

"Are you kidding me right now?" Beca pressed the button to lock her car and followed him into the house. She turned off the outside light as soon as she was inside and shut the door behind her.

* * *

"Do you have any idea how rare it is for people to find their soulmate, or whatever, at all? Much less their first year in college? Why do we have to change our relationship now, I thought it was working." Beca didn't want to go to bed angry but it was seeming as if Jesse had shut down for the night.

"This is what you're supposed to do when you want to be with someone, Beca, you keep moving forward."

Beca tried to maintain her composure, "Did you even think about talking to me about this, Jesse? It sounds like you decided this all on your own." Beca ran her fingers through her hair, getting frustrated when they tangled in her curls, "We're supposed to be partners, but you thought this would be the one thing where I wanted to be _surprised_? Are you kidding me? Do you know me at all?"

Jesse rolled over and turned his back to her, "Apparently not."

"Fine," Beca said, getting out of the bed, "I'm going to go stay at Aubrey and Chloe's for a while then. I'll see you later." She hesitated before grabbing an empty bag in the closet and putting some clothes in it. She paused at his side of the bed and looked at him, his face was crumpled in disappointment and she could see tear tracks plain as day. She sighed and leaned over, kissing him on the forehead, "I love you."

His stoney silence spoke volumes.

* * *

Beca had never been more glad to see a friendly face than when Aubrey opened her door after Beca knocked. She drove around for what felt like hours before finally making her way over to her friends' house. "Aubrey?" She felt weak.

"Beca? What are you doing here? It's-" Aubrey looked at her watch, "Almost midnight."

Beca tried not to look so shocked, she had been driving for a while apparently, with a stop off at a local park in between the two houses. "Yeah," she shuffled on the front step, "I had a fight with Jesse."

Aubrey sighed and ushered Beca inside, "Well you can tell us about it in the morning after you've had some sleep."

Beca nodded, suddenly very weary. "Thank you. I didn't mean to disturb you, or Chloe."

Aubrey tutted, "Nonsense, we're friends. That's what we're here for." Aubrey led Beca down the hallway to the bedroom, "You'll have to share with us, the guest room isn't currently fit for guests and I have no idea why we thought that couch was a good idea. Chloe's asleep though, she has an early day tomorrow, meetings all day."

Beca bit her lip, "I don't want to intrude."

"Don't be ridiculous," Aubrey pushed Beca into the room and thrust some nightclothes into her hands, "Get ready for bed, I'm sure Chloe won't mind some extra company."

Chloe looked up blearily when the light from the hallway crossed her face, "Bree?" She questioned. "Wha's going on?"

Aubrey took off her watch and put it on the nightstand, "Go back to sleep, Chlo," Aubrey changed quickly into her nightgown, "Beca's sleeping over, she and Jesse had a fight."

"Hmmm," Chloe fought for consciousness, "Is she okay?"

"Yeah," Beca said, appearing beside Aubrey, "I'm okay."

"Mmm, good. Now get in here." Chloe motioned for Beca who looked for approval from Aubrey before climbing into the bed.

Aubrey turned off the hall light and then joined them, Beca in between the two of them. She wrapped her arms around Beca, bringing them close to Chloe, "Get some sleep, Beca." She rested her head on Beca's shoulders, sighing softly when she registered Chloe's hand slide to her waist across Beca's body. She heard Chloe press a kiss to Beca's temple and then felt Beca relax. They would talk in the morning.

* * *

Beca woke the next morning with a slight crick in her neck, but surprisingly rested considering the night she had had. Chloe had left the bed at some point, probably to go to her meetings, but Aubrey was still next to her, a firm leg thrown over her own, keeping her in the bed. She snored lightly beside Beca.

"Bree?" Beca tried to move out from under the other woman.

"Hmm?" Aubrey stirred. "What time is it?" She asked, stretching, being careful not to hit Beca in the process.

"It's almost ten." Beca rolled over to face Aubrey. "Why is Chloe working on a Saturday anyway?"

"Heck if I know, I think it was the only time they could get everyone together and in the same state. You know how nonprofits can be sometimes."

"True," Beca blinked against the bright light making its way through the blinds. "Shit," she said, sitting up and blocking her eyes.

Aubrey got out of bed and threw on her robe, "I'll make us some coffee and you can tell me about last night."

Beca sighed and followed behind her to the kitchen, "Ugh."

Aubrey started the coffee machine and began to crack some eggs for an omelet, "Tell me what happened."

Beca sat down on the bar stool and crossed her legs, facing Aubrey, "Jesse asked me to marry him."

Aubrey set the mug down hard on the countertop, "And I'm guessing you said-"

"No," Beca sighed. "Yeah, I told him no. And then he wouldn't speak to me the rest of the dinner and then acted like a child when we got home."

"Beca," Aubrey started only to stop suddenly. "Why? Why don't you want to marry him?"

"I love him," Beca shrugged. "Why does a piece of paper matter?"

Aubrey's eyes teared up as she cut peppers and onions for the omelet. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, "I know that you've had a rocky relationship with marriage, and that's totally valid, Beca. But there's a part of me that wishes I weren't your friend right now because I would slap you so hard."

Beca looked confused for a moment as if trying to register what on earth was causing Aubrey such a reaction. Her eyes lingered on the onions but then stopped on Aubrey's left hand where she knew there should be a ring. "Fuck," she breathed, comprehension hitting her quickly. "Oh my god, Bree. I'm so sorry."

"Leave it," Aubrey said, snapping at Beca. She sighed, deflating almost as quickly as she had bristled, "It is totally your right to marry him or not marry him, Beca. I get that. But please, don't make it sound like that. Because I would _kill_ to be able to marry Chloe, okay? We've been together six years, seven if you ask Chloe, and I don't just want a civil partnership, I want the big church bells and bubbles instead of rice and ridiculous veils. I want it all. I want that piece of paper.

"You and Jesse are in a great place right now, don't let this mess things up because you're both too afraid to talk about what's really going on." Beca watched as Aubrey put the plate in front of her, the omelet steaming and the smell making her mouth water. Aubrey sipped on her coffee, "Just think about it, before you ruin something great."

Beca stood up and walked over to where Aubrey was standing, she removed the cup of coffee from Aubrey's hands and placed it next to them on the counter. She hesitated for a moment before wrapping the older woman in a hug, "I'm really sorry, Bree," she said softly. "I'll think about it."

Aubrey wiped her eyes free of stray tears as Beca pulled back, "Thank you." She motioned to the pot of coffee, "You should probably go home soon, talk to him. Don't make him think you're gone forever."

Beca nodded and poured herself a cup of coffee, walking back to her plate of food, "I won't."

* * *

"What did Beca have to say?" Chloe asked later that night, situating herself next to Aubrey on the couch, tugging the blanket to cover both of them.

Aubrey closed her book and looked at Chloe, "Jesse asked her to marry him."

"Oh, Bree! That's great though!" At Aubrey's strained look Chloe frowned, "Or not? Did she say no?"

"She said no!" Aubrey exclaimed, "She said no where I would give anything to be able to ask you that same question."

"Bree," Chloe wrapped her arms around Aubrey's waist, bringing them close together, "I love you. I don't need all that other stuff to know that."

Hot tears fell down Aubrey's cheeks, "I do, Chloe. I need that white picket fence, 2.5 children, a dog, a _wife_. I don't want you to forever be my girlfriend or my partner. I want to go to company parties and introduce you as my _wife_. And I want to be able to say, _Voici, ma femme_, when you come with me to France one day. And when I'm done talking shop, we can go to the South of France and stay in the nicest hotels and I'll make sure we stay in the honeymoon suite at each one. I need that. I need you."

"You have me, Bree," Chloe kissed her fiercely, taking her face in her hands, "I'm not going anywhere." Chloe paused, as if one of Aubrey's previous statements just hit her, "Wait, you want the 2.5 kids?" Chloe asked, smirking.

Aubrey laughed. "I want a little redheaded boy learning how to walk across the living room and being there to pick him up when he falls and I want a little blonde girl who wants to speak French and learn to cook, so I'll show her how to make croissants with just enough crisp and we'll make desserts to rival those of the pâtisseries. I want to wake up to them climbing all over our bed and I want to tuck them in every single night." Aubrey smiled through her tears, "I just love you so much."

"I love you too," Chloe brought them close together, foreheads touching, "Canada," she said suddenly, pulling back. "Or Washington D.C., or Colorado, or Washington State, or Iowa, I don't know, anywhere, Bree. Anywhere we can go." She gripped Aubrey's hands tightly, channeling her strength, "We could take a couple friends and go there, get married and then come back here for a party. We could totally do that."

Aubrey laughed and then gasped, "France," she whispered. "They passed a law in 2015 to legalize it."

"France?" Chloe's eyes brightened.

"France," Aubrey affirmed.

"Aubrey?"

"Hmm?"

"Are we getting married?"

"Yeah, Chlo, we're getting married!"

* * *

Beca sighed heavily, weighing the pros and cons of entering the house that she and Jesse rented together. "Come on, Beca, it's not like he's Aubrey from back in the days of the Bellas. He's not a frightening person." She had to stop herself from ringing the doorbell, she wasn't visiting him, she lived there. "Now or never."

"Beca?" She heard the moment she opened the door. He appeared to have been sitting on the couch. He got up and rushed over to her, wrapping her in a large hug, sweeping her off her feet. "I was so worried."

She frowned, "You were?"

"Yeah," he looked hurt. "You left last night and then I didn't hear from you at all. I didn't know if something had happened to you."

She buried her face in his chest, "I'm so sorry. I just needed to think and I couldn't do it with you sitting there not talking to me."

He scratched his head, chagrined, "Yeah, that wasn't very cool of me." He sighed, moving to the couch, "I just really thought you would want to."

Beca followed him, "I don't think I really knew what I wanted, to be honest. I just know that I want you."

Jesse took her hand, "What changed your mind?"

Beca linked their fingers together, studying the way they seemed to click, "Let's just say Aubrey put my issues with marriage into perspective."

"I'm glad to hear that but what do you mean?"

"She told me about how she would kill to be able to marry Chloe like you and I can get married. And I realized just how unfair I've been about the entire situation. I love you. And my parents' shitty relationship isn't a viable reason, nor a good one in the slightest, to keep me from making my own happiness." Beca leaned up to kiss Jesse gently, "And you make me happy. And I don't mind if the entire world knows that. Because I'm not going anywhere, and you better not be going anywhere either."

Jesse chuckled and pulled Beca close, "I love you too." He paused, watching her closely, "So, will you marry me?"

Beca looked at him and grinned, "Yes, _but_, I want to pick out my engagement ring. Who helped you pick that out? Stacie?"

Jesse laughed and kissed Beca deeply, "Deal."


End file.
